U.S. patent application number 16/453470 was filed with the patent office on 2020-02-20 for speed-constrained flight management methods and systems.
This patent application is currently assigned to HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.. Invention is credited to Marek Batelka, Dorothee De Villele, Michal Polansky, Laurent Villacampa.
Application Number | 20200058226 16/453470 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63207565 |
Filed Date | 2020-02-20 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200058226 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
De Villele; Dorothee ; et
al. |
February 20, 2020 |
SPEED-CONSTRAINED FLIGHT MANAGEMENT METHODS AND SYSTEMS
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for managing speed-constrained
vehicle operations. One exemplary method of operating an aircraft
involves identifying a speed constraint associated with a
navigational reference point, determining a speed envelope region
en route to the navigational reference point based at least in part
on the first speed constraint, identifying a target speed en route
to the navigational reference point, and determining a speed
profile for autonomously operations en route to the navigational
reference point within the speed envelope region. The speed profile
intersects the target speed within the speed envelope region and a
slope of the speed profile is influenced by the target speed, for
example, to effectuate or approximate the target speed by
increasing the duration of time operation at or around the target
speed is achieved. In one or more embodiments, multiple different
target speeds associated with different flight levels or operating
regions are accounted for.
Inventors: |
De Villele; Dorothee;
(Montjoire, FR) ; Polansky; Michal; (Brno, CZ)
; Batelka; Marek; (Tisnov, CZ) ; Villacampa;
Laurent; (Toulouse, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. |
Morris Plains |
NJ |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL
INC.
Morris Plains
NJ
|
Family ID: |
63207565 |
Appl. No.: |
16/453470 |
Filed: |
June 26, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15676003 |
Aug 14, 2017 |
10388170 |
|
|
16453470 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08G 5/0052 20130101;
G01C 21/20 20130101; G01C 21/00 20130101; G01C 21/14 20130101; G01C
21/3492 20130101; G08G 5/0021 20130101; G05D 1/101 20130101; G08G
5/0034 20130101; G01C 23/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G08G 5/00 20060101
G08G005/00; G01C 21/14 20060101 G01C021/14; G01C 21/34 20060101
G01C021/34; G05D 1/10 20060101 G05D001/10; G05D 1/06 20060101
G05D001/06; G01C 23/00 20060101 G01C023/00; G01C 21/20 20060101
G01C021/20; G01C 21/00 20060101 G01C021/00 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: identifying, by a flight management system
(FMS), a first speed constraint associated with a navigational
reference point; determining, by the FMS, a speed envelope region
en route to the navigational reference point based at least in part
on the first speed constraint and a maximum acceleration, the speed
envelope region comprising a minimum travel time boundary and a
maximum travel time boundary; identifying, by the FMS, a target
speed en route to the navigational reference point; determining, by
the FMS, a speed profile for autonomous operation en route to the
navigational reference point within the speed envelope region,
wherein the speed profile intersects the target speed within the
speed envelope region and a slope of the speed profile is
influenced by the target speed.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed profile comprises a
climb speed profile for an automated departure procedure.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the speed
profile to an avionics system.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the avionics system comprises one
of an autopilot system, an autothrust system, and a flight guidance
system.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein automated functionality provided
by the FMS utilizes the speed profile to autonomously manage speed
during execution of an aircraft procedure.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying a second
speed constraint preceding the navigational reference point;
identifying a maximum speed en route to the navigational reference
point; and identifying a minimum speed en route to the navigational
reference point, wherein determining the speed envelope region
comprises: determining the minimum travel time boundary for the
speed envelope region based at least in part on the first speed
constraint, the second speed constraint, the maximum acceleration,
and the maximum speed; and determining the maximum travel time
boundary for the speed envelope region based at least in part on
the first speed constraint, the second speed constraint, the
maximum acceleration, and the minimum speed.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising padding at least one
of the first speed constraint and the second speed constraint based
on the target speed.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the slope of the speed profile
maximizes a duration of time when an aircraft speed is equal to the
target speed.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the slope of the speed profile
maximizes a duration of time when an average speed is equal to the
target speed.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the
target speed based on a cost index value.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a second
target speed en route to the navigational reference point, wherein;
determining the speed profile comprises determining the speed
profile intersecting the target speed and the second target speed
within the speed envelope region; and the slope of the speed
profile maximizes either a cumulative duration of time an aircraft
speed is equal to one of the target speed and the second target
speed or a duration of time when an average aircraft speed is equal
to one of the target speed and the second target speed.
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions
stored thereon that are executable by a processing system of the
FMS to perform the method of claim 1.
13. A computer-implemented method of operating a vehicle, the
method comprising: identifying a first speed constraint associated
with a navigational reference point; determining a speed envelope
region en route to the navigational reference point based at least
in part on the first speed constraint and a maximum acceleration of
the vehicle, the speed envelope region comprising a minimum travel
time boundary and a maximum travel time boundary; identifying a
target speed en route to the navigational reference point;
determining a speed profile for travel en route to the navigational
reference point within the speed envelope region, wherein the speed
profile intersects the target speed within the speed envelope
region and a slope of the speed profile is influenced by the target
speed; and providing the speed profile to an onboard system.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the onboard system comprises at
least one of an autopilot system, an autothrust system, and a
guidance system.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the slope of the speed profile
maximizes at least one of a duration of time when a speed of the
vehicle is equal to the target speed and a duration of time when an
average speed of the vehicle is equal to the target speed.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the
target speed based on a cost index value.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions
stored thereon that are executable by a processing system to
perform the method of claim 13.
18. A method of operating an aircraft, the method comprising:
identifying, by a flight management system (FMS) onboard the
aircraft, one of an AT speed constraint and an AT OR ABOVE speed
constraint associated with a navigational reference point of a
flight plan; determining, by the FMS, a speed envelope region in
advance of the navigational reference point based at least in part
on a maximum acceleration of the aircraft and the one of the AT
speed constraint and the AT OR ABOVE speed constraint; identifying,
by the FMS, a target speed en route to the navigational reference
point; and determining, by the FMS, a speed profile for autonomous
operation that intersects the target speed within the speed
envelope region, wherein a slope of the speed profile is influenced
by the target speed.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein automated functionality
provided by the FMS utilizes the speed profile to autonomously
manage speed during execution of an aircraft procedure.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions
stored thereon that are executable by the FMS to perform the method
of claim 18.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
15/676,003, filed Aug. 14, 2017.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The subject matter described herein relates generally to
vehicle systems, and more particularly, embodiments of the subject
matter relate to managing aircraft operations in connection with
speed constraints.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In order to handle the expected increases in air traffic and
congestion, the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)
will introduce aircraft trajectory-based operations that require
aircraft to follow custom-made so-called four-dimensional (4D)
trajectories consisting of a specified path along-path time
conformance requirements. This promotes prescribing and accurately
following trajectories that ensure separation and optimize traffic
flow management over different time horizons, which will
significantly improve flight safety and performance. Thus, required
time of arrival (RTA) and speed constraints are introduced to help
guarantee the reliability of time of arrival at a particular
waypoint to manage spacing between aircraft, minimize delays, and
the like.
[0004] However, the RTA constraints, speed constraints and other
altitude-based speed restrictions that may be provided by airport
procedures, air traffic control (ATC), or the like typically do not
account for operating costs. For example, the particular cost
function utilized by a particular aircraft operator may define an
optimum speed for achieving a desired cost index given the
particular altitude of the aircraft and potentially other factors
(e.g., the current fuel remaining or aircraft weight, current
meteorological conditions, and the like). Accordingly, it is
desirable to provide a system and method for managing speed
constraints or other constraints pertaining to temporal operations
in a manner that accounts for operating costs. Other desirable
features and characteristics will become apparent from the
subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing
technical field and background.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] Vehicle systems and related operating methods are provided.
In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method of operating a
vehicle is provided. The method involves identifying a first speed
constraint associated with a navigational reference point,
determining a speed envelope region en route to the navigational
reference point based at least in part on the first speed
constraint and a maximum acceleration of the vehicle, identifying a
target speed en route to the navigational reference point, and
determining a speed profile for travel en route to the navigational
reference point within the speed envelope region. The speed profile
intersects the target speed within the speed envelope region and a
slope of the speed profile is influenced by the target speed, and
the vehicle is autonomously operated in accordance with the speed
profile.
[0006] In another embodiment, a method of operating an aircraft is
provided. The method involves a flight management system (FMS)
onboard the aircraft identifying one of an AT speed constraint and
an AT OR ABOVE speed constraint associated with a navigational
reference point of a flight plan, determining a speed envelope
region in advance of the navigational reference point based at
least in part on a maximum acceleration of the aircraft and the one
of the AT speed constraint and the AT OR ABOVE speed constraint,
identifying a target speed en route to the navigational reference
point, and determining a speed profile that intersects the target
speed within the speed envelope region. A slope of the speed
profile is influenced by the target speed, and the aircraft is
autonomously operated in accordance with the speed profile.
[0007] An embodiment of an aircraft system is also provided. The
aircraft system includes a data storage element maintaining
procedure information associated with an aircraft action, wherein
the procedure information includes a navigational reference point
having a speed constraint associated therewith, an input device to
receive an input value, and a processing system coupled to the data
storage element and the input device to determine a speed envelope
region en route to the navigational reference point based at least
in part on the speed constraint, identify a target speed
corresponding to the input value, determine a speed profile
intersecting the target speed within the speed envelope region, and
autonomously operating an aircraft in accordance with the speed
profile, wherein a slope of the speed profile is influenced by the
target speed.
[0008] Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of
the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the
subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the preceding
background.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will hereinafter be described in
conjunction with the following figures, wherein like numerals
denote like elements, and wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an aircraft system in
accordance with one or more exemplary embodiments;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a speed profile
determination process suitable for implementation by the aircraft
system of FIG. 1 in accordance with one or more exemplary
embodiments;
[0012] FIGS. 3-4 are graphs depicting exemplary speed profiles with
respect to flight level that may be generated by the speed profile
determination process in accordance with one or more exemplary
embodiments;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a graph depicted an exemplary speed profile with
respect to flight level that may be generated by the speed profile
determination process using padded speed constraints in accordance
with one or more exemplary embodiments; and
[0014] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a required time of arrival
(RTA) management system suitable for implementation with the speed
profile determination process of FIG. 2 in accordance with one or
more exemplary embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in
nature and is not intended to limit the subject matter of the
application and uses thereof. Furthermore, there is no intention to
be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background, brief
summary, or the following detailed description.
[0016] Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to
vehicle management systems and methods for determining a travel
profile for autonomous operations in a manner that accounts for
travel constraints associated with points within a travel plan as
well as cost index targets or desired travel targets within the
travel plan. For purposes of explanation, the subject matter is
primarily described herein in the context of aircraft flight
management systems and methods for determining a speed profile for
autonomously operating an aircraft en route to a speed constrained
navigational reference point of a flight plan in a manner that
accounts for the speed constraints associated with that en route
reference point as well as a desired (or targeted) speed, such as a
speed based on a desired cost index, cost function, or other
optimization criteria. That said, the subject matter described
herein is not necessarily limited to aircraft or avionic
environments, and in alternative embodiments, may be implemented in
an equivalent manner in the context of other types of vehicles and
travel plans.
[0017] As described in greater detail below in the context of FIGS.
2-3, in exemplary embodiments, a speed envelope region of potential
aircraft speeds in advance of a navigational reference point is
calculated, determined, or otherwise defined based on the speed
constraint associated with the navigational reference point and any
other speed constraints in advance of reaching the navigational
reference point, such as, for example, a current aircraft speed,
speed constraints associated with a preceding navigational
reference point, speed constraints associated with travel en route
to the navigational reference point, and the like. A boundary of
the speed envelope region corresponding to a minimum amount of
travel time for reaching the navigational reference point may be
calculated or otherwise determined based on the speed constraint
associated with the navigational reference point, any maximum
aircraft speed constraints en route to the navigational reference
point, and the maximum acceleration of the aircraft. Another
boundary of the speed envelope region corresponding to a maximum
amount of travel time for reaching the navigational reference point
may be calculated or otherwise determined based on the speed
constraint associated with the navigational reference point, any
minimum aircraft speed constraints en route to the navigational
reference point, and the maximum acceleration of the aircraft.
[0018] Once a speed envelope region in advance of a navigational
reference point is defined, one or more desired aircraft speed
targets associated with travel in advance of the navigational
reference point are identified and utilized to construct or
otherwise determine a speed profile that intersects those targeted
aircraft speeds within the speed envelope region. The speed profile
is then utilized to autonomously operate the aircraft and regulate
the aircraft's speed when traveling en route to the navigational
reference point.
[0019] In accordance with one or more embodiments, the speed
profile is calculated or otherwise determined to maximize the
duration of time during which the aircraft travels at the targeted
speed(s) while en route to the navigational reference point, as
described in greater detail below in the context of FIG. 3. In this
manner, the amount of time during which the aircraft operates at or
near a desired or optimum cost can be maximized while maintaining
compliance with other speed constraints. In other embodiments, the
speed profile is calculated or otherwise determined to maximize the
duration of time during which the average aircraft speed while en
route to the navigational reference point is equal to the desired
speed(s), as described in greater detail below in the context of
FIG. 4. Additionally, in some embodiments, the speed constraints
associated with a navigational reference point may be padded in a
manner that increases the area of the speed envelope region to
increase the duration of time during which the aircraft can operate
at or average the targeted speed(s) within the speed envelope
region, as described in greater detail below in the context of FIG.
5. In some embodiments, the speed profile may be iteratively
determined in conjunction with required time of arrival (RTA)
constraints, as described in greater detail below in the context of
FIG. 6.
[0020] For purposes of explanation, but without limitation, the
subject matter may be described herein primarily in the context of
a flight management system (FMS) climb speed profile that may be
utilized by the autopilot or other automated functionality provided
by an FMS to autonomously manage the climb speed of an aircraft
during execution of a departure procedure. In this regard,
navigational reference points of a departure procedure may be
associated with speed constraints requiring a particular aircraft
speed to maintain desired separation of aircraft departing from an
airport, such as, for example, AT constraints or AT OR ABOVE
constraints, which require an aircraft to be traveling at or above
a particular speed upon reaching that particular navigational
reference point. These constraints may be part of a published or
standardized departure procedure, or alternatively, provided by air
traffic control (ATC) based on current operations at the airport.
The navigational reference points of the departure procedure may be
associated with a particular altitude at which the aircraft is
required to be at or above during execution of the departure. A
cost function may be utilized to identify desired speeds at
different altitudes or flight levels within the departure at which
the aircraft operates at or best achieves a desired cost index
value. Accordingly, the subject matter described herein may be
utilize to satisfy AT, AT OR ABOVE, or AT OR BELOW speed
constraints while also accounting for operating costs to achieve
more cost-efficient operations during an automated departure or
climbing phase of flight. That said, the subject matter described
herein is not limited to departures or climbs, and may be utilized
in an equivalent manner for other aircraft procedures or flight
phases, such as, for example, descents, approaches, and the
like.
[0021] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a system 100 which
may be utilized with a vehicle, such as an aircraft 120. In an
exemplary embodiment, the system 100 includes, without limitation,
a display device 102, a user input device 104, a processing system
106, a display system 108, a communications system 110, a
navigation system 112, a flight management system (FMS) 114, one or
more avionics systems 116, and a data storage element 118 suitably
configured to support operation of the system 100, as described in
greater detail below.
[0022] In exemplary embodiments, the display device 102 is realized
as an electronic display capable of graphically displaying flight
information or other data associated with operation of the aircraft
120 under control of the display system 108 and/or processing
system 106. In this regard, the display device 102 is coupled to
the display system 108 and the processing system 106, wherein the
processing system 106 and the display system 108 are cooperatively
configured to display, render, or otherwise convey one or more
graphical representations or images associated with operation of
the aircraft 120 on the display device 102. The user input device
104 is coupled to the processing system 106, and the user input
device 104 and the processing system 106 are cooperatively
configured to allow a user (e.g., a pilot, co-pilot, or crew
member) to interact with the display device 102 and/or other
elements of the system 100, as described in greater detail below.
Depending on the embodiment, the user input device 104 may be
realized as a keypad, touchpad, keyboard, mouse, touch panel (or
touchscreen), joystick, knob, line select key or another suitable
device adapted to receive input from a user. In some embodiments,
the user input device 104 is realized as an audio input device,
such as a microphone, audio transducer, audio sensor, or the like,
that is adapted to allow a user to provide audio input to the
system 100 in a "hands free" manner without requiring the user to
move his or her hands, eyes and/or head to interact with the system
100.
[0023] The processing system 106 generally represents the hardware,
software, and/or firmware components configured to facilitate
communications and/or interaction between the elements of the
system 100 and perform additional tasks and/or functions to support
operation of the system 100, as described in greater detail below.
Depending on the embodiment, the processing system 106 may be
implemented or realized with a general purpose processor, a content
addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application
specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any
suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor
logic, processing core, discrete hardware components, or any
combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described
herein. The processing system 106 may also be implemented as a
combination of computing devices, e.g., a plurality of processing
cores, a combination of a digital signal processor and a
microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more
microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor
core, or any other such configuration. In practice, the processing
system 106 includes processing logic that may be configured to
carry out the functions, techniques, and processing tasks
associated with the operation of the system 100, as described in
greater detail below. Furthermore, the steps of a method or
algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed
herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a
software module executed by the processing system 106, or in any
practical combination thereof. For example, in one or more
embodiments, the processing system 106 includes or otherwise
accesses a data storage element (or memory), which may be realized
as any sort of non-transitory short or long term storage media
capable of storing programming instructions for execution by the
processing system 106. The code or other computer-executable
programming instructions, when read and executed by the processing
system 106, cause the processing system 106 to support or otherwise
perform certain tasks, operations, functions, and/or processes
described herein.
[0024] The display system 108 generally represents the hardware,
software, and/or firmware components configured to control the
display and/or rendering of one or more navigational maps and/or
other displays pertaining to operation of the aircraft 120 and/or
onboard systems 110, 112, 114, 116 on the display device 102. In
this regard, the display system 108 may access or include one or
more databases suitably configured to support operations of the
display system 108, such as, for example, a terrain database, an
obstacle database, a navigational database, a geopolitical
database, a terminal airspace database, a special use airspace
database, or other information for rendering and/or displaying
navigational maps and/or other content on the display device
102.
[0025] In exemplary embodiments, the aircraft system 100 includes a
data storage element 118, which contains aircraft procedure
information (or instrument procedure information) for a plurality
of airports and maintains association between the aircraft
procedure information and the corresponding airports. Depending on
the embodiment, the data storage element 118 may be physically
realized using RAM memory, ROM memory, flash memory, registers, a
hard disk, or another suitable data storage medium known in the art
or any suitable combination thereof.
[0026] As used herein, aircraft procedure information should be
understood as a set of operating parameters, constraints, or
instructions associated with a particular aircraft action (e.g.,
approach, departure, arrival, climbing, and the like) that may be
undertaken by the aircraft 120 at or in the vicinity of a
particular airport. As used herein, an airport should be understood
as referring to a location suitable for landing (or arrival) and/or
takeoff (or departure) of an aircraft, such as, for example,
airports, runways, landing strips, and other suitable landing
and/or departure locations, and an aircraft action should be
understood as referring to an approach (or landing), an arrival, a
departure (or takeoff), an ascent, taxiing, or another aircraft
action having associated aircraft procedure information. Each
airport may have one or more predefined aircraft procedures
associated therewith, wherein the aircraft procedure information
for each aircraft procedure at each respective airport may be
maintained by the data storage element 118. The aircraft procedure
information may be provided by or otherwise obtained from a
governmental or regulatory organization, such as, for example, the
Federal Aviation Administration in the United States. In an
exemplary embodiment, the aircraft procedure information comprises
instrument procedure information, such as instrument approach
procedures, standard terminal arrival routes, instrument departure
procedures, standard instrument departure routes, obstacle
departure procedures, or the like, traditionally displayed on a
published charts, such as Instrument Approach Procedure (IAP)
charts, Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) charts or Terminal Arrival
Area (TAA) charts, Standard Instrument Departure (SID) routes,
Departure Procedures (DP), terminal procedures, approach plates,
and the like. In exemplary embodiments, the data storage element
118 maintains associations between prescribed operating parameters,
constraints, and the like and respective navigational reference
points (e.g., waypoints, positional fixes, radio ground stations
(VORs, VORTACs, TACANs, and the like), distance measuring
equipment, non-directional beacons, or the like) defining the
aircraft procedure, such as, for example, altitude minima or
maxima, minimum and/or maximum speed constraints, RTA constraints,
and the like. It should be noted that although the subject matter
is described below in the context of departure procedures and/or
climbing procedures for purposes of explanation, the subject matter
is not intended to be limited to use with any particular type of
aircraft procedure and may be implemented for other aircraft
procedures (e.g., approach procedures or en route procedures) in an
equivalent manner
[0027] Still referring to FIG. 1, in an exemplary embodiment, the
processing system 106 is coupled to the navigation system 112,
which is configured to provide real-time navigational data and/or
information regarding operation of the aircraft 120. The navigation
system 112 may be realized as a global positioning system (GPS),
inertial reference system (IRS), or a radio-based navigation system
(e.g., VHF omni-directional radio range (VOR) or long range aid to
navigation (LORAN)), and may include one or more navigational
radios or other sensors suitably configured to support operation of
the navigation system 112, as will be appreciated in the art. The
navigation system 112 is capable of obtaining and/or determining
the instantaneous position of the aircraft 120, that is, the
current (or instantaneous) location of the aircraft 120 (e.g., the
current latitude and longitude) and the current (or instantaneous)
altitude or above ground level for the aircraft 120. The navigation
system 112 is also capable of obtaining or otherwise determining
the heading of the aircraft 120 (i.e., the direction the aircraft
is traveling in relative to some reference). In the illustrated
embodiment, the processing system 106 is also coupled to the
communications system 110, which is configured to support
communications to and/or from the aircraft 120. For example, the
communications system 110 may support communications between the
aircraft 120 and air traffic control or another suitable command
center or ground location. In this regard, the communications
system 110 may be realized using a radio communication system or
another suitable data link system.
[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing system 106 is
also coupled to the FMS 114, which is coupled to the navigation
system 112, the communications system 110, and one or more
additional avionics systems 116 to support navigation, flight
planning, and other aircraft control functions in a conventional
manner, as well as to provide real-time data and/or information
regarding the operational status of the aircraft 120 to the
processing system 106. Although FIG. 1 depicts a single avionics
system 116, in practice, the system 100 and/or aircraft 120 will
likely include numerous avionics systems for obtaining and/or
providing real-time flight-related information that may be
displayed on the display device 102 or otherwise provided to a user
(e.g., a pilot, a co-pilot, or crew member). For example, practical
embodiments of the system 100 and/or aircraft 120 will likely
include one or more of the following avionics systems suitably
configured to support operation of the aircraft 120: a weather
system, an air traffic management system, a radar system, a traffic
avoidance system, an autopilot system, an autothrust system, a
flight control system, hydraulics systems, pneumatics systems,
environmental systems, electrical systems, engine systems, trim
systems, lighting systems, crew alerting systems, electronic
checklist systems, an electronic flight bag and/or another suitable
avionics system.
[0029] It should be understood that FIG. 1 is a simplified
representation of the system 100 for purposes of explanation and
ease of description, and FIG. 1 is not intended to limit the
application or scope of the subject matter described herein in any
way. It should be appreciated that although FIG. 1 shows the
display device 102, the user input device 104, and the processing
system 106 as being located onboard the aircraft 120 (e.g., in the
cockpit), in practice, one or more of the display device 102, the
user input device 104, and/or the processing system 106 may be
located outside the aircraft 120 (e.g., on the ground as part of an
air traffic control center or another command center) and
communicatively coupled to the remaining elements of the system 100
(e.g., via a data link and/or communications system 110).
Similarly, in some embodiments, the data storage element 118 may be
located outside the aircraft 120 and communicatively coupled to the
processing system 106 via a data link and/or communications system
110. Furthermore, practical embodiments of the system 100 and/or
aircraft 120 will include numerous other devices and components for
providing additional functions and features, as will be appreciated
in the art. In this regard, it will be appreciated that although
FIG. 1 shows a single display device 102, in practice, additional
display devices may be present onboard the aircraft 120.
Additionally, it should be noted that in other embodiments,
features and/or functionality of processing system 106 described
herein can be implemented by or otherwise integrated with the
features and/or functionality provided by the FMS 114. In other
words, some embodiments may integrate the processing system 106
with the FMS 114. In yet other embodiments, various aspects of the
subject matter described herein may be implemented by or at an
electronic flight bag (EFB) or similar electronic device that is
communicatively coupled to the processing system 106 and/or the FMS
114.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 2, in an exemplary embodiment, an
aircraft system is configured to support a speed profile
determination process 200 and perform additional tasks, functions,
and operations described below. The various tasks performed in
connection with the illustrated process 200 may be implemented
using hardware, firmware, software executed by processing
circuitry, or any combination thereof. For illustrative purposes,
the following description may refer to elements mentioned above in
connection with FIG. 1. In practice, portions of the speed profile
determination process 200 may be performed by different elements of
the aircraft system 100. That said, exemplary embodiments are
described herein in the context of the speed profile determination
process 200 being primarily performed by the processing system 106
and/or FMS 114. It should be appreciated that the speed profile
determination process 200 may include any number of additional or
alternative tasks, the tasks need not be performed in the
illustrated order and/or the tasks may be performed concurrently,
and/or the speed profile determination process 200 may be
incorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process having
additional functionality not described in detail herein. Moreover,
one or more of the tasks shown and described in the context of FIG.
2 could be omitted from a practical embodiment of the speed profile
determination process 200 as long as the intended overall
functionality remains intact.
[0031] For purposes of explanation, the speed profile determination
process 200 is described primarily in the context of determining a
speed profile optimizing climb speeds for a departure procedure or
climbing phase of flight, however, it should be appreciated that
the subject matter described herein is not limited to any
particular type of procedure or phase of flight. Additionally, for
ease of explanation, the speed profile determination process 200
may be described initially in the context of an individual
navigational segment; however, as described in greater detail
below, in one or more embodiments, the speed profile determination
process 200 is iteratively performed across multiple navigational
segments of a procedure to cumulatively optimize a speed profile
(e.g., maximizing cumulative duration of time spent at or averaging
cost-indexed speed targets across an entire procedure) rather than
optimizing the speed profile in a piecewise manner (e.g.,
maximizing duration of time spent at or averaging cost-indexed
speed targets within individual navigational segments).
Additionally, the speed profile determination process 200 can be
periodically and/or continually performed throughout execution of a
procedure to dynamically update the speed profile to account for
the current speed or status of the aircraft.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 2, and with continued reference to FIG. 1,
the illustrated speed profile determination process 200 begins by
receiving, obtaining or otherwise identifying the speed constraint
associated with the destination or en route navigational reference
point of a navigational segment (task 202). In this regard, the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 identifies the value (or
airspeed) associated with the en route waypoint defining the end of
a navigational segment and the type of speed constraint associated
with that waypoint (e.g., whether the constraint is an AT
constraint, an AT OR ABOVE speed constraint, or an AT OR BELOW
speed constraint). Depending on the embodiment, the en route
waypoint speed constraint may be identified or obtained from the
procedure information stored in the data storage element 118, from
ATC (e.g., via communications system 110), or from a pilot or other
user (e.g., via user input device 104).
[0033] Additionally, the speed profile determination process 200
receives, obtains or otherwise identifies the speed constraint
associated with the start of the navigational segment en route to
that speed-constrained navigational reference point (task 204).
Similar to the en route waypoint, the processing system 106 and/or
the FMS 114 identifies the value (or airspeed) associated with the
preceding waypoint defining the start of the navigational segment
of interest and the type of speed constraint associated with that
waypoint (e.g., whether the constraint is an AT constraint, an AT
OR ABOVE speed constraint, or an AT OR BELOW speed constraint).
Again, depending on the embodiment, the preceding waypoint speed
constraint may be identified or obtained from the procedure
information stored in the data storage element 118, from ATC, or
from a pilot or other user. If the preceding waypoint does not have
an associated speed constraint, the processing system 106 and/or
the FMS 114 may identify the current or anticipated airspeed at
that preceding waypoint as the speed constraint associated with the
start of the navigational segment.
[0034] The speed profile determination process 200 also receives,
obtains or otherwise identifies the speed constraints associated
with traversing the navigational segment en route to the
speed-constrained navigational reference point (task 206). In this
regard, the processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 identifies any
minimum or maximum airspeed values for the period of travel en
route to the speed-constrained waypoint. Again, depending on the
embodiment, the preceding waypoint speed constraint may be
identified or obtained from the procedure information stored in the
data storage element 118, from ATC, or from a pilot or other user.
In some embodiments, the minimum or maximum airspeed values may be
determined based on aircraft capabilities, and may be calculated in
real-time based on the predicted aircraft weight, altitude,
airspeed, meteorological conditions, and/or other factors while en
route to the waypoint.
[0035] After identifying speed constraints associated with
traveling a navigational segment from a starting location to a
speed-constrained navigational reference point, the speed profile
determination process 200 calculates or otherwise determines a
speed envelope region that is bounded by one or more of the speed
constraints (task 208). In this regard, in one or more exemplary
embodiments, the speed envelope region represents the potential
range of airspeeds achievable by the aircraft (e.g., based on the
maximum aircraft acceleration/deceleration capabilities) at various
locations along the navigational segment en route to the
speed-constrained waypoint without violating the speed constraints.
That said, as described in greater detail below in the context of
FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the speed constraints associated with
one or more waypoints may be padded or loosened, such that the
speed envelope region represents the potential range of airspeeds
achievable by the aircraft without violating the speed constraints
associated with the endpoints of a navigational segment by more
than a threshold amount.
[0036] In exemplary embodiments, the processing system 106 and/or
the FMS 114 determines the speed envelope region by calculating or
otherwise determining a first boundary corresponding to the minimum
amount of travel time for traversing the navigational segment en
route to the speed-constrained waypoint and an opposing boundary
corresponding to the maximum amount of travel time for traversing
the navigational segment. The minimum travel time boundary
generally starts from a maximum allowable or achievable speed value
at the initial reference point defining the navigational segment
and assumes a maximum acceleration of the aircraft until reaching
any maximum airspeed constraints and traveling at those maximum
airspeeds for a maximum duration of time until reaching the
speed-constrained waypoint with a maximum airspeed that satisfies
the waypoint's associated speed constraint. In this regard, if any
maximum airspeed constraint exceeds the waypoint' s associated
speed constraint, the minimum travel time boundary may assume a
maximum deceleration from such maximum airspeed values down to the
waypoint's associated speed constraint or other subsequent speed
constraints. Conversely, the maximum travel time boundary generally
starts from a minimum allowable or achievable speed value at the
initial reference point defining the navigational segment maximizes
the duration of travel at the minimum airspeed until accelerating
at the maximum acceleration of the aircraft until reaching the next
minimum airspeed constraint en route to or at the speed-constrained
waypoint.
[0037] FIG. 3 depicts a graph 300 of airspeeds with respect to
flight level for an exemplary climb speed profile associated with a
departure procedure. With reference to FIGS. 1-2, FIG. 3 depicts a
speed envelope region 302 that may be determined by the processing
system 106 and/or the FMS 114 for climbing from an initial AT OR
BELOW speed constraint 306 (e.g., AT OR BELOW 250 knots) associated
with a start of a navigational segment to an AT speed constraint
304 (e.g., AT 270 knots) associated with a waypoint defining the
end of the navigational segment. In this regard, the processing
system 106 and/or the FMS 114 calculates a minimum travel time
boundary 301 for the speed envelope region 302 that starts at the
maximum airspeed that satisfies the speed constraint associated
with the initial waypoint of the navigational segment (e.g., the
value for the AT OR BELOW speed constraint 306) and accelerates at
the maximum acceleration of the aircraft while en route between
waypoints (which may be determined based on predicted aircraft
weight, altitude level, meteorological conditions, engine status,
and/or potentially other factors) before reaching a maximum
airspeed constraint 308 associated with travel en route to the
waypoint at the end of the navigational segment, and then
maximizing the duration of time traveled at the maximum airspeed
constraint 308 before arriving at the maximum airspeed at the en
route waypoint that satisfies its associated constraint (e.g., the
value for the AT speed constraint 304). Conversely, the maximum
travel time boundary 303 for the speed envelope region 302 may
start at the minimum airspeed that satisfies the initial waypoint
speed constraint 306 and/or the minimum airspeed constraint 310
associated with travel within the navigational segment for the
maximum duration of time that allows the airspeed to satisfy the en
route waypoint speed constraint 304 given the maximum acceleration
of the aircraft while en route.
[0038] Similarly, the processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 may
determine a subsequent speed envelope region 312 for climbing from
the AT speed constraint 304 to the next successive waypoint having
an associated AT OR ABOVE speed constraint 314 (e.g., AT OR ABOVE
290 knots). The minimum travel time boundary 311 for the speed
envelope region 312 that starts at the maximum airspeed satisfying
the initial constraint 304 (e.g., the value for the AT speed
constraint 304) and accelerates at the maximum acceleration of the
aircraft while en route until reaching a maximum airspeed
constraint 318 associated with that navigational segment, and then
maximizing the duration of time traveled at the maximum airspeed
constraint 308 before arriving at the maximum airspeed at the en
route waypoint that satisfies the AT OR ABOVE speed constraint 314
(which is equal to the maximum airspeed constraint 318). The
maximum travel time boundary 313 for the speed envelope region 312
starts at the minimum airspeed that satisfies the initial speed
constraint 304 (e.g., the value of the AT speed constraint 304) and
then attempts to travel at the minimum speed constraint 320
associated with the navigational segment for the maximum duration
of time that allows the airspeed to satisfy the value of the AT OR
ABOVE speed constraint 314 upon reaching that waypoint at the end
of the segment given the maximum acceleration capability of the
aircraft.
[0039] Referring again to FIG. 2, after determining a speed
envelope region for a particular navigational segment, the speed
profile determination process 200 receives, obtains or otherwise
identifies any desired or target airspeeds relevant to the
navigational segment and then constructs or otherwise determines a
speed profile within the speed envelope region that intersects the
targeted speed(s) (tasks 210, 212). In an exemplary embodiment, the
targeted airspeeds are calculated or otherwise determined by the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 at particular flight
levels or altitudes based on an input cost index value and current
or predicted aircraft status information. For example, a pilot or
other user may utilize the user input device 104 to provide a
desired cost index value, which, in turn, is utilized by the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 to determine a targeted
airspeed (or optimum speed) associated with a particular flight
level (or range thereof) that achieves the input cost index value
based on a variety of factors, as will be understood to those
skilled in the art and the details of which are not germane to the
subject matter described herein. That said, in other embodiments, a
pilot or other user may utilize the user input device 104 to input
or otherwise provide desired airspeeds for use at particular flight
levels in lieu of or in addition to those determined using a cost
index value or cost function.
[0040] Once the target airspeed(s) for a navigational segment are
identified, the processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 constructs
a speed profile within the speed envelope region for that
navigational segment that intersects the targeted airspeed(s). In
one or more exemplary embodiments, the processing system 106 and/or
the FMS 114 constructs a speed profile that maximizes an amount of
travel at a targeted airspeed within the navigational segment, as
illustrated in FIG. 3. In alternative embodiments, the processing
system 106 and/or the FMS 114 constructs a speed profile that
maximizes an amount of travel over which the average airspeed is
equal to a targeted airspeed, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
[0041] Referring first to FIG. 3, based on the input cost index
value, the processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 calculates or
otherwise determines a first target airspeed (or optimum climb
speed) up to reaching flight level 100 (FL100) equal to OPT CLB SPD
1, a second target airspeed up to reaching FL150 equal to OPT CLB
SPD 2, a third target airspeed up to reaching FL200 equal to OPT
CLB SPD 3, and a fourth target airspeed up to reaching FL250 equal
to OPT CLB SPD 4. For the first navigational segment for climbing
from the AT OR BELOW speed constraint 306 to the AT speed
constraint 304, the processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114
constructs a speed profile 350 within the speed envelope region 302
that has a combination of differently sloped portions configured to
maximize the duration of time at which the airspeed is equal to
either OPT CLB SPD 1 or OPT CLB SPD 2. In particular, the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 may construct the speed
profile 350 to maximize the duration of time the airspeed is equal
to OPT CLB SPD 1 until the aircraft altitude is expected to reach
FL100, and then increase with a slope corresponding to a maximum
allowable acceleration of the aircraft until reaching OPT CLB SPD 2
to maximize the duration of time the airspeed is equal to OPT CLB
SPD 2 before the aircraft altitude reaches FL150, and then increase
with a slope corresponding to the maximum acceleration to satisfy
the AT speed constraint 304. In this regard, if the constructed
profile 350 were to reach the maximum travel time boundary 303
prior to FL150 (e.g., due to a higher value for the AT speed
constraint 304), the speed profile 350 would begin accelerating at
the maximum acceleration prior to reaching FL150 to ensure the AT
constraint 304 is satisfied. For the following segment between the
AT constraint 304 and the AT OR ABOVE constraint 314, the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 constructs a speed profile
360 within the speed envelope region 312 that accelerates with the
maximum acceleration along the minimum travel time boundary 311
until reaching the targeted airspeed up to FL200 and then remains
at OPT CLB SPD 3 until reaching FL200 and then accelerating with
the maximum acceleration until reaching the next targeted airspeed
(OPT CLB SPD 4) and then maximizing the duration of time at that
target value.
[0042] Referring to FIGS. 2-3, it should be noted that the speed
profile determination process 200 allows for maximizing the total
amount of flight time spent at one of the multiple different
optimum climb speeds calculated by the FMS 114 for multiple
different flight levels or operating regions. Thus, a climb,
descent, or other procedure may be subdivided into any number of
regions or segments, which, in turn, could each be associated with
a particular optimum speed associated therewith, with the speed
profile determination process 200 being utilized to maximize the
cumulative amount of time the aircraft is flying at one of the
optimum speeds within the respective operating regions or
segments.
[0043] FIG. 4 depicts an alternative embodiment for constructing
speed profiles 402, 404 within speed envelope regions 302, 312. In
this regard, FIG. 4 depicts a graph 400 where the constructed speed
profile attempts to maximize the duration of time when the aircraft
is continuously accelerating during a climb to achieve a smoother
climb. For speed envelope region 302, rather than maximizing a
duration of time that the airspeed is equal to OPT CLB SPD 2, speed
profile 402 is constructed to maximize a duration of time over
which the average airspeed is equal to OPT CLB SPD 2 by including a
linearly sloped portion 403 having an average value equal to OPT
CLB SPD 2. The linearly sloped portion 403 intersects OPT CLB SPD 2
at its associated flight level (FL150), and the slope of the
portion 403 is minimized to maximize the duration of time the
average value is equal to OPT CLB SPD 2. In this regard, for a
subsequent AT or AT OR ABOVE speed constraint, the slope of the
portion 403 may be determined by constructing a line through the
target speed (OPT CLB SPD 2) and the minimum airspeed value that
satisfies such subsequent speed constraints, thereby minimizing the
slope of the portion 403. Prior to reaching the sloped portion 403
with an average value equal to a target speed value, the processing
system 106 and/or the FMS 114 constructs the speed profile 402 with
a maximum acceleration, to thereby maximize the duration of the
sloped portion 403 within the speed envelope region 302. Similarly,
for speed envelope region 312, in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 constructs a speed profile
404 that accelerates with the maximum acceleration until reaching a
sloped portion 405 configured to maximize a duration of time that
the average climb speed is equal to the optimum climb speed
associated with FL200 (OPT CLB SPD 3) before reaching the optimum
climb speed associated with FL250 (OPT CLB SPD 4) and satisfying
the AT OR ABOVE constraint 314.
[0044] Referring again to FIG. 2, in accordance with one or more
embodiments, the speed profile determination process 200 is
iteratively performed across multiple navigational segments of a
procedure to cumulatively maximize the duration of time when the
aircraft is flying at a targeted speed during the procedure, or
alternatively, the duration of time when the average speed of the
aircraft is equal to a targeted speed. For example, navigational
segments bounded by AT OR ABOVE or AT OR BELOW speed constraints
have a range of acceptable speeds upon reaching those waypoints.
Accordingly, the speed profile determination process 200 may be
iteratively performed to increase or decrease speed values at the
endpoints of navigational segments (and then update the portion of
the speed profile corresponding to that navigational segment
accordingly) to arrive at a solution consisting of sets of speed
profiles across the multiple navigational segments that optimizes
the aircraft speed relative to the cost index across execution of
the entire procedure. For example, a speed profile through the
speed envelope region 302 that starts at the maximum speed for the
AT OR BELOW speed constraint 306 rather than OPT CLB SPD 1 may
reduce the duration of time the aircraft travels at (or averages)
OPT CLB SPD 1 below FL100 but increase the duration of time the
aircraft travels at (or averages) OPT CLB SPD 2, thereby optimizing
the aircraft speed across those two segments. Additionally, as
described in greater detail below in the context of FIG. 6, the
speed profile determination process 200 could be iteratively
performed to account for RTA constraints and arrive at an optimal
speed profile that also satisfies RTA constraints in addition to
speed constraints.
[0045] Moreover, in some embodiments, the speed profile
determination process 200 is periodically performed or otherwise
updated during flight to dynamically update the speed profile as
the aircraft travels within a navigational segment, to thereby
further optimize the speed profile. In this regard, the current
aircraft altitude may be treated as the initial navigational
reference point of a navigational segment currently being flown
with the current aircraft speed being treated as an AT speed
constraint associated with that starting point. Thus, as the
aircraft deviates from a previously constructed speed profile, the
processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 may dynamically update the
speed profile to be used to optimize the speed profile based on the
current aircraft status.
[0046] Referring now to FIG. 5, in accordance with one or more
embodiments, speed constraints are padded or relaxed to allow for
construction of speed profiles that maximize duration of time the
aircraft travels at (or averages) a targeted airspeed. For example,
AT OR BELOW constraints (e.g., constraint 306) may be padded
upward, and AT OR ABOVE constraints (e.g., constraint 314) may be
padded downward, while AT constraints (e.g., constraint 304) may be
padded upward and/or downward to accommodate targeted airspeeds
while satisfying the speed constraints within some threshold
margin. In one or more embodiments, the constraints are padded
independently by an amount that is less than or equal to some
maximum allowable padding value (e.g., plus or minus 10 knots), but
the cumulative amount of padding throughout the procedure is equal
to zero (e.g., the sum of all upward padding minus the sum of all
downward padding is equal to zero). For example, the AT OR BELOW
constraint 306 may be increased by an amount (PadPos1) to relax the
speeds up its associated waypoint at FL100. The AT constraint 304
may be increased by a different amount (PadPos2) for purposes of
constructing the minimum travel time boundary 501 for a padded
speed envelope region 502, while decreased by an amount (PadNeg1)
for purposes of constructing the maximum travel time boundary 503
for the padded speed envelope region 502. The AT OR ABOVE
constraint 314 may be decreased by a different amount (PadNeg2) for
purposes of constructing the maximum travel time boundary 513 for
padded speed envelope region 512, while the minimum travel time
boundary 511 for the padded speed envelope region 512 is
constructed using the upwardly padded AT constraint 304 (e.g., the
AT speed constraint plus PadPos2).
[0047] In exemplary embodiments, the sum of the positive padding is
equal to the negative padding (e.g.,
PadPos1+PadPos2=PadNeg1+PadNeg2). Each of the padding amounts is
less than a maximum allowable padding value (e.g., 10 knots). In
one or more embodiments, the padding amounts for different
constraints may be different from one another to better optimize
the cumulative speed profile across the procedure, without
violating the maximum allowable padding value and maintaining a net
padding value equal to zero. That said, in some embodiments, the
amount of padding may be net positive or net negative to
accommodate RTA constraints, as described in greater detail below
in the context of FIG. 6.
[0048] Still referring to FIG. 5, the speed profile determination
process 200 may construct speed profiles through the padded speed
envelope regions in a similar manner as described above. In this
regard, when the target speed for up to FL150 (OPT CLB 2) is
greater than the speed value associated with the AT constraint 304
(e.g., greater than 270 knots) by less than the maximum padding
value, the constructed speed profile 550 proceeds with maximum
acceleration until reaching the target speed associated with FL150
and then maintains the airspeed at that OPT CLB 2 value to maximize
the duration of time at the target speed value without increasing
the deviation from the original AT speed constraint 304. The
subsequent speed profile segment 560 may be constructed with
maximum acceleration from the FL150 target speed to the target
speed associated with FL200 (e.g., OPT CLB 3). By virtue of the
padding and increased speed at the start of the speed profile
segment 560, the target speed associated with FL200 may be reached
sooner, thereby further increasing the duration of time that the
aircraft flies at a targeted airspeed during the climb.
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 6, in accordance with one or more
embodiments, the speed profile determination process 200 is
implemented by a speed profile generator 602 as part of a RTA
management system 600 (which may be implemented by the processing
system 106 and/or the FMS 114). The speed profile generator 602
receives or otherwise obtains various speed constraints 601
associated with a procedure (e.g., tasks 202, 204, 206) and
generates an initial speed profile 603 based on those speed
constraints and various targeted or desired airspeeds applicable to
execution of the procedure. A trajectory predictor 604 receives the
speed profile output by the speed profile generator 602 and
computes one or more estimated times of arrival (ETAs) 605 based on
the speed profile. The ETAs 605 are provided to an RTA solver 606
which compares the ETAs 605 to one or more corresponding RTAs 607
and determines a speed adjustment 609 based on any differences.
[0050] The speed adjustment 609 is then utilized by the speed
profile generator 602 to adjust the speed profile 603 in a manner
that reduces the time difference (or error) between the ETA(s) 605
and the RTA(s) 607. In this regard, the speed profile generator 602
may adaptively pad AT or AT OR ABOVE speed constraints lower to
delay the ETAs 605 in response to downward speed adjustments 609,
and conversely, adaptively pad AT or AT OR BELOW speed constraints
higher to advance the ETAs 605 in response to upward speed
adjustments 609. Additionally, in one or more embodiments, the
speed profile generator 602 may vary the manner in which the speed
profile is optimized (e.g., maximizing duration at targeted speeds
versus maximizing duration of average speed equal to targeted
speeds) based on the requested speed adjustment 609. The updated
speed profile 603 may then be provided to the trajectory predictor
604 for updating the ETAs 605, and so on, to iteratively reduce the
speed adjustment 609.
[0051] Referring again to FIGS. 1-2, the subject matter described
herein allows for the processing system 106 and/or the FMS 114 to
generate a speed profile that accounts for speed constraints
associated with a procedure while also attempting to achieve a
desired cost index by accounting for different targeted speeds. For
example, multiple different optimum climb speeds associated with
different flight levels (or ranges thereof) may be accounted for
when constructing a speed profile for a departure procedure having
one or more AT or AT OR ABOVE speed constraints. The resulting
speed profile may be utilized by the FMS 114 (or another autopilot,
autothrottle or flight guidance subsystem) to autonomously operate
the aircraft while climbing to best achieve the desired cost index,
thereby facilitating cost-efficient operations while attempting to
comply with various speed constraints, RTA constraints, and the
like. In various embodiments, the processing system 106 and/or the
FMS 114 may also generate or otherwise provide a graphical
representation of the speed profile on the display device 102 to
thereby allow a pilot to manually fly the aircraft in a cost
effective manner while attempting to manage aircraft speed and
arrival times.
[0052] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to
autopilot, flight management, route planning and/or navigation,
aircraft procedures, aircraft controls, and other functional
aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of
the systems) may not be described in detail herein. Furthermore,
the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein
are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or
physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted
that many alternative or additional functional relationships or
physical connections may be present in an embodiment of the subject
matter.
[0053] The subject matter may be described herein in terms of
functional and/or logical block components, and with reference to
symbolic representations of operations, processing tasks, and
functions that may be performed by various computing components or
devices. It should be appreciated that the various block components
shown in the figures may be realized by any number of hardware
components configured to perform the specified functions. For
example, an embodiment of a system or a component may employ
various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements,
digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables,
or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the
control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices.
Furthermore, embodiments of the subject matter described herein can
be stored on, encoded on, or otherwise embodied by any suitable
non-transitory computer-readable medium as computer-executable
instructions or data stored thereon that, when executed (e.g., by a
processing system), facilitate the processes described above.
[0054] The foregoing description refers to elements or nodes or
features being "coupled" together. As used herein, unless expressly
stated otherwise, "coupled" means that one element/node/feature is
directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly
communicates with) another element/node/feature, and not
necessarily mechanically. Thus, although the drawings may depict
one exemplary arrangement of elements, additional intervening
elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an
embodiment of the depicted subject matter. In addition, certain
terminology may also be used in the following description for the
purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be
limiting.
[0055] While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented
in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated
that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be
appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments
are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope,
applicability, or configuration of the subject matter in any way.
Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those
skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an
exemplary embodiment of the subject matter. It should be understood
that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of
elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing
from the scope of the subject matter as set forth in the appended
claims. Accordingly, details of the exemplary embodiments or other
limitations described above should not be read into the claims
absent a clear intention to the contrary.
* * * * *